I've been contemplating a nose job for many years, and wanted to find out a bit more about the process.

Question

I've been contemplating a nose job for many years, and wanted to find out a bit more about the process.

First of all, I would want a smaller nose but does the amount that it can be reduced by be affected by the original shape of the nose? There are some dramatic changes in pictures shown on this website; is this possible for a large majority of people or are these just a minority of cases?

I've heard that a nose job is typically day surgery and it only takes a few days to recover from bruising etc. Is there a possibility of scarring?

I also wanted to know if you did consultations and if you were able to produce some sort of image of what the nose would look like after surgery?

Answer

Reduction rhinoplasty is possible for any type of nose. Depending on the characteristics of the skin, and the amount of reduction contemplated, there are some variations of the surgical strategy. An important point in a reduction rhinoplasty procedure is to protect the quality of the nasal airway, and may introduce limitations to the degree of change planned.

In my practice, a rhinoplasty consultation includes computer based planning, either on standard photographs or in 3-D, to allow prospective patients to clarify their goals regarding the end result, and understand how they would fit in the context of their face.

It also allows me to elaborate with them on the surgical strategy that would be necessary to achieve the results, and if such results are achievable altogether.

It is however important to appreciate that with the best of efforts, the result of surgery is always somewhat different from computer simulations.

With regards to the recovery from rhinoplasty, I recommend taking two weeks off work, as the main part of the swelling and bruising is variable, but usually within 10 to 14 days it reaches a point where socialising and work are possible without creating problems. For singers or actors, this interval increases to 3 to 4 weeks.